MinuteClinic enters New Hampshire market

WOONSOCKET, R.I. – MinuteClinic has opened its first walk-in medical clinic locations in New Hampshire.

The CVS Caremark Corp. subsidiary said Tuesday that the market entry represents the 28th state where it has retail clinics.

MinuteClinics are now open inside CVS/pharmacy stores in Concord and West Lebanon, N.H. Plans call for a clinic to open in Salem, N.H., on Dec. 11 and for clinics to open in Hampton, Manchester and Nashua, N.H., in early January.

MinuteClinic announced that along with the opening of the six new locations it has entered a new clinical affiliation with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, New Hampshire's largest health care system, with a network of nearly 1,500 physicians.

Under the agreement, Dartmouth-Hitchcock doctors will serve as medical directors for MinuteClinic in New Hampshire and collaborate on patient education and disease management initiatives.

MinuteClinic medical clinics in New Hampshire are staffed by licensed nurse practitioners who provide treatment for acute illnesses and administer wellness and prevention services, including health condition monitoring. The medical directors, family physicians from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Primary Care practices, will provide support and quality review of care provided by MinuteClinic's nurse practitioners. They will also serve in a liaison role between community physicians and the MinuteClinic sites.

MinuteClinic noted that its entry into New Hampshire is part of its national expansion plan to open 150 clinics nationwide this year.

"As we have experienced in other states, MinuteClinic can support the primary care model in New Hampshire by helping to improve access to affordable care at convenient locations close to where patients live and work," stated MinuteClinic president Andrew Sussman, who's also senior vice president and associate chief medical officer at CVS Caremark. "Our affiliation with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, which has a national reputation for clinical quality and patient centered care, will help us extend the best treatment at the lowest overall cost for patients and employers."

MinuteClinic said it will begin working with Dartmouth-Hitchcock to integrate electronic medical record systems to streamline communication around individual patient care. With patient permission, MinuteClinic will electronically share medical histories and visit summaries with other Dartmouth-Hitchcock locations in New Hampshire to coordinate primary care among patients who are part or seek to be part of D-H Primary Care services.

"Our commitment to creating a sustainable health system for the people and communities of our region requires that we deliver care in new ways that are convenient, accessible, high quality and lower cost," stated James Weinstein, president and chief executive officer of Dartmouth-Hitchcoc. "This partnership with MinuteClinic exactly fits our strategic priorities of improving the health of our population, providing value-based care and using different payment models to reduce costs."